Fiji Welcomes Australia’s Contribution to COP23 Presidency

Statement from the Attorney-General and Minister Responsible for the Environment

On behalf of the Fijian Government, we would like to thank Australia for its generous support of AUD$6 million towards our COP23 Presidency, which will all be placed in our COP23 Trust Fund. For a small nation like Fiji, and with the impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston last year that wiped out one third of our GDP, this presidency is a financial challenge. We are grateful for this contribution and hope that other nations will follow Australia’s lead.

Our Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, is in Bonn to formerly unveil Fiji’s vision for COP23, its aims and objectives as it presides over the next state of the climate change negotiations. Fiji’s vision is for a COP23 Presidency that is transparent and inclusive of all, advances the Paris Agreement and accelerates climate action for all vulnerable societies, drawing on our own experiences as a Small Island Developing State in the Pacific.